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[zana16]

I felt vindicated reading about this study because I have always thought that the marshmallow test was really a test about whether grownups in your world were trustworthy -- whether the system was something you could rely on -- rather than this glorification of patience and grit that many people say it is.

Comments

[cinco]

I think it tests not only trust of adults/authority figures but also past history--did the child come from an environment of scarcity or plenty? Some kids might be aware that no matter how well-intentioned the grownup is there might still not be any more marshmallows later on.

[zana16]

One of my more annoying coworkers was boasting that as a kid, he "passed" the marshmallow test, and I wanted to point out that not everyone grew up in a stable environment, and not every parent can put their kid through Yale Law School without loans... But that was more of a personal thing in that he is an ass. I would send him a link to the study, but what a can of worms that would open! He will argue any point to death.

As a kid, I probably would have passed the marshmallow test. I'm actually dubious that I would pass it now (with more age-appropriate stakes than marshmallows).

This American Life did something on the marshmallow test recently, but didn't bring up this angle; it was mostly about how education should teach kids fortitude. Which I'm not against! But seems like an incomplete picture.

[cinco]

Ugh, that coworker sounds terrible! Definitely don't send him a link, you'd have to murder him while he endlessly argued at you.

I would totally have passed the marshmallow test as a child. I was the world's slowest eater and I always saved my favorite thing for last. Early hoarding, kind of. I'm not sure what that says about my background. My father had four siblings, and he said they had to eat as fast as possible or your brother or sister would eat off your plate. So although they were good financially and had enough to eat, the process was quick--so he might have failed the marshmallow test. There are kind of a lot of variables.

I listened to that TAL! It was kind of upsetting to me--I am not at all surprised to hear it (and I had read some of the studies they talked about), but I hate the information that bad situations can get burned into a person's brain pathways. It's just so depressing.